Posts Tagged: swim suits

In the article it Natasha Oakley says, “In the beginning, in our apartment, even the kitchen cupboards were filled with bikinis. But we’d still walk into a shop and want to buy a bikini—like, “Oh my god I’m obsessed with it, we have to buy it.” And that’s the moment when we really realized that this truly is something that we love. It sounds a bit silly to say—”We’re so obsessed with bikinis”—but when you grow up somewhere like Hawaii or Sydney, you don’t wear designer bags or shoes, so your thing that you want to save up to buy is swimwear. You want to have a million different bikinis, because you live in them.”

1. Wash Your Brand New Suit. Here’s a trick that will prolong the life of your new bathing suit.
Add a teaspoon of white vinegar to a quart of cold water and soak your new suit for 30 minutes. This will help prevent the colors from bleeding and fading, keeping them brighter longer. Wash and dry as described below.

2. Shower Before Wearing to prevent transfer of substances like dirt, perspiration, oils, lotions, makeup, deodorant, and perfumes that can be absorbed by the fabric and cause lasting damage.

3. Rinse Your Suit Before Swimming to minimize the amount of pool chlorine that the fabric will absorb.

… for additional tips on caring for your favorite swimwear visit www.bratree.com (include all 10 tips on the website)

4. Choose Appropriate Suits for the Right Activities
Hot water and excessive chlorine can accelerate the damage to a bathing suit, so if you are going to sit in a Jacuzzi, you may want to wear an older or less expensive suit, or one that is 100% polyester and/or chlorine resistant.
Lighter colors are more fade resistant than darker colors.
You can find swimwear made specifically for active wear such as water aerobics, water skiing, beach volleyball etc. They are designed specifically with fabrics to help keep your suit in place during vigorous activity. Choose a well-made, more expensive suit to endure your level of activity.

5. Alternate Swimsuits
Swap out suits when and if possible. Most swimsuits contain spandex, a memory fabric, which requires 24hrs for the suit to return to its original shape.
Extend the life of swimwear by minimizing usage

6. Watch Where You Sit
Avoid rough surfaces like concrete and cool decking to prevent tearing and fraying of your suit by laying down a towel. Be careful of wooden surfaces as well as wood splinters can snag the delicate fabric.

Rinse off immediately after each swim and before sunbathing, as the combination of the sun and chemicals can accelerate the deterioration of the fabric.
Hand wash after wearing. In a sink, add a small amount of mild liquid, not powder, detergent to cold water. Let soak for 15 minutes then gently massage to work out the chemicals and dirt. Rinse thoroughly.
Washing Machines: Washing your suit in a machine is not recommended; however, some manufacturers may suggest you wash your bathing suit after every 5-6 uses to remove dirt, oils, and chlorine buildup. If you choose to wash your swimwear in a machine, place your suit in a mesh laundry bag to help eliminate tearing, stretching and twisting around other articles of clothing. Use mild liquid laundry detergent in cold water on “delicate” or “hand wash” cycle.

8. Drying Swimwear
Never wring a swimsuit out. Instead, lay flat between two dry towels, then roll the towels up, gently pressing the towels to absorb the excess moisture from the swimsuit then allow to air dry the rest of the way on the Bra Tree®.
Avoid drying in direct sunlight as this will fade the fabric.
Do not use heat of any kind to dry your swimsuit as this will destroy the elastic fabric in the suit.
Make sure your swimsuit is completely dry before storing in your wardrobe on the Bra Tree®.

9. Never Dry Clean, Iron or Bleach your swimsuit
Dry cleaning is never good for elastic and spandex fabrics
Bleach will cause discoloration and damage
Dampen with water to eliminate wrinkles; ironing will melt your fabric.

10. Short-term and Long-term Storage
Avoid storing wet or damp suits, as this will cause the suit to mildew and stain. If you must travel a short distance with a wet suit, roll up in a towel to absorb excess moisture and place in a plastic bag with small holes to ventilate. Wash as soon as possible.